Ownership

This is by no means your typical river confined to a single streambed. The French is much more complicated, a true waterway system of delightful intricacy. There are few systems anywhere that offer such rich diversity of streams, channels, lakes, ponds, bays, gorges, falls, rapids, chutes, flat- and whitewater, forest, bush, islands, swamps, wetlands, beaches and Canadian Shield rock.

The river is up to 2 kilometres (1.3 miles) wide in places.

The Lodge is open from May through October and each month is different and has its own beauty and attractions. In early May the river and forests are brimming with springtime feeling, the water is still cold and the levels are high so conditions for whitewater canoeing are excellent. The birds are nesting so the air is full of colour and song as the fishing season begins around the 24th of May. By mid-June the water has warmed, with daytime temperatures often in the 20s C (68+ F), and it is perfect time to enjoy the last few quiet weeks before school vacations begin. July and August are the hot months and are popular with just about everybody, and life at The Lodge is in full swing in these lazy, hazy days of summer. September is our favourite month: the water warm, the sun hot, and, now that the children are back in school, a perfect time for a get-away. By October the fresh air has an added tang that heralds a change of seasons. Light frosts can occur at night and the trees burst into their full autumnal splendour, a seemingly limitless display of the glorious colours only nature can produce. The fishing is good and the canoeing is peaceful with few people out on the water. Toward the end of October a few snow flurries might even be in the air, and there is nothing like a hot drink and a good book in front of the fire after a day out exploring on the river.

The 2005 season was a great year for Walleye, Small- and Largemouth Bass and Pike. Each year offers another chance at catching a fresh-water giant for which the French River is so famous, the tough, voracious and elusive Muskie. The Walleye fishery has benefited from a 10-year re-stocking program, a size-and-catch restriction policy and also the voluntary catch-and-release practices of a lot of fishermen.

The Lodge recommends Toni Harting's book, French River: Canoeing the River of the Stick-Wavers, a fascinating history of the river from geological times to the late 1900s that belongs in the library of anyone interested in the early exploration and development of North America. The book is beautifully designed and researched with plenty of pictures to give you a real feel for this magnificent part of the world. We will send you this book on request (send us an email) for CDN$34.95 (or US$23.00) plus 7% tax and postage. We can supply you with a topographical map of the entire French River for $15.00 plus 15% tax and postage. The map details all topographical features of the river and has a convenient one-kilometre-square grid for distance reckoning.

Cast a wet fly in the tail of a rapid and hook a Largemouth Bass, dry-fly from a canoe for Walleye or Pike or back-cast from the wide shorelines, and do all this while strengthened by a delicious picnic lunch prepared in our kitchen.

The Lodge has its own concrete launching ramp for guests' boats. This part of the French is not suited to large cruisers but more to small fishing boats.

We offer two types of accommodation in our cottages: the American Plan where all meals are included in the price and served in our excellent restaurant in the main lodge; and a very limited number of housekeeping cabins that are self-catering. The cottages are newly built and individually designed, finished in Pine and Cedar and fully equipped: screened-in porches, toilets and showers, comfortable beds and heating. All the cottages have views of the water; some of them on three sides, and the privacy of our guests are assured by our layout and designs. See the accommodation portion of this website for details.

The French River and the surrounding region offer canoeists, kayakers, and sea kayakers a wealth of possibilities for adventure and discovery in an area of exceptional natural beauty. The Lodge runs whitewater courses and guided canoe trips, and we operate French River Outfitters to ensure that our guests are well equipped.

We own and operate www.frenchriveroutfitters.com and can provide complete canoe and kayak outfitting, including water-taxi and shuttle services.

The Lodge will provide on request Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, including a Picnic Lunch for taking out on the river.

No. The Lodge does everything it can to send you home relaxed and feeling pampered, but we do not have spa facilities.

The rough and rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield limits access for the handicapped. We will always do our best to help people of all ages and abilities, but personal safety demands that our guests be reasonably fit and able to walk up and down the rocks and trails that nature has provided.

No. The Lodge is not equipped for hunters.

No. The main lodge has telephone facilities.

Yes. The Lodge is easily accessible from a well-maintained main road and parking is plentiful, except for the months of November through April when there can be upwards of 8' of snow on the ground.

A half-share in a cottage will give an owner 6 months use of a cottage each year, excluding the time needed to safely open and close (see below) the resort.

Cottage use will be divided into 2 seasons: Season 1 will run from the beginning of February to the end of July; and Season 2 will run from the beginning of August to the end of January. Each year cottage owners will rotate Seasons. In other words, if the Smith family used the cottage during Season 1 of 2007, while the Jones family used the cottage in Season 2, the families would rotate Seasons for 2008. This time rotation system means that every second year each owner will get 2 contiguous Seasons use of the cottage, less the time (see below) required for the official opening and closing of the resort.

Cottage owners wishing to use their cottage during the months of November through April can do so; however, there will be no sewage, drainage, or running water available during this time period. A public compost toilet will be available to owners for this time period and fresh water will be available from a tap near the main Lodge. The Lodge will not be open during these months to provide any services to The Cottages.

The Cottages are available in 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom configurations.

There will be a total of no more than 15 cottages built, of which 12 have been constructed and are ready for use.

Yes. Cottage owners will have access to a cottage club that is being established in a refurbished 1940s era building that sits right at the edge of the water. The club will be ideal for all manner of activities, from lessons and meetings through dances and card games, and the building will become a wholly owned asset of the nonprofit organization.

The land on which the cottages are built has approximately 1,600' of waterfront.

All of the cottages are on the water. No cottage is more than approximately 60' from the water, and most are much closer than that.

2006 Season prices for a single cottage unit (a half-share on a cottage) will range from $110,000 for a 1-bedroom to $160,000 for a 3-bedroom.

Yes. The cost of a full cottage is double the cost of a single cottage unit. All other policies and features remain the same except those that govern the sharing of a cottage.

The Cottages are a frame construction and each one is unique and hand-built by craftsmen. Cedar siding, white and red pine with spruce beams are the main construction timbers used. A separately metered electrical service and sewage pumping station comes with each cottage. Roof materials are either anodized ribbed steel or cedar shingle, and the walls and roof of the cottages are fully insulated.

All of the cottages are brand new, most less than 3-years old. Moreover, all of the electric, plumbing and septic systems that service the cottages are also new.

The wiring for all cottages is brand new, and each cottage has its own electricity meter.

All cottages are fully furnished with very beautiful handcrafted furniture, bathrooms (shower, toilet and sink), bar fridges, stand lighting, screened porches, living areas and equipped kitchens. The beds are custom made with deluxe mattresses. The two and three bedroom cottages are equipped with wood burning stoves, and all cottages have electrical convection wall mounted units for supplementary heat.

Yes.

Yes. All cottages will come equipped with a new gas barbeque.

Yes. Your guests can stay with you in your cottage provide the numbers do not exceed the limit established in the regulations, or they may stay at the 'Bunky', a large cottage set aside for the use of the guests of the cottage unit owners. The 'Bunky' is situated close to the main cottages, and is owned by the cottage unit owners through the nonprofit organization.

Yes. The cottage unit owner will be charged $50.00 per night per person for use of the 'Bunkie’.

The money is paid to the nonprofit organization with 75% being allocated toward lowering the monthly maintenance fees of the cottage unit owner who rents the 'Bunkie' and 25% going into the general revenues of the nonprofit organization.

The maintenance fees are estimated at $155.83 per month per cottage unit for 2007 based on 12 months. This money is paid to the nonprofit organization that is owned by the cottage unit owners so it can conduct and pay for the necessary maintenance on behalf of the owners. The end result is that the cottage unit owners control the maintenance thereby avoiding the costly markups levied by management companies that contribute to dramatically higher maintenance costs. Full details of what is covered by the maintenance fees are available in the legal documents.

Maintenance fees can only be increased with the approval of the directors of the nonprofit organization. In other words, the fees will only go up if the cottage unit owners deem it is necessary. Your maintenance fees are not controlled by a for-profit management company, but by the owners themselves.

Any money not needed for maintenance in a given year becomes the asset of the nonprofit organization, to be invested or used for the benefit of the cottage unit owners.

There will a full maintenance program managed by the non-profit corporation that is controlled by the cottage owners. A full time maintenance person will be on site during daylight hours, and after hours the maintenance person can be contacted by telephone.

All cottages will be cleaned once per week from the second week of May through to the third week of October, on a schedule to be posted each season. At the end of each annual ownership period, the housekeeper will clean each cottage prior to the arrival of the next occupants. These cleanings will be part of the annual maintenance program. If an owner wishes daily maid service, this may be arranged through the maintenance manager and paid for by the individual requesting the service.

None of the cottages has any problems with damp or standing water due to a combination of cottage design and construction, and the amazing natural drainage of the area on which the cottages are constructed.

The Lodge at Pine Cove Cottages, has retained, Tom Pinckard, to answer all legal questions. Mr. Pinckard is a highly regarded lawyer who is considered by many in his profession to be one of Ontario's leading experts on lifestyle real estate law. Please contact us for an introduction to Mr. Pinckard.

No. Unlike some fractional ownership schemes, your ownership of a cottage at The Cottages at Pine Cove is perpetual.

Yes. The cottage unit is your asset, and as such can be disposed of as you see fit provided that the new owners agree to abide by the rules and regulations governing The Cottages at Pine Cove.

Yes. The land on which the cottages are built is owned and controlled by a nonprofit organization that in turn is owned and controlled by the cottage unit owners.

All cottage unit owners will be provided with legal documents containing the full details of the rules and regulations governing the nonprofit organization and the purchase of a cottage unit at The Cottages at Pine Cove. These documents will be provided in advance of the completion of the purchase of a cottage unit so that your lawyer can review them. In addition, questions about these documents and any other related legal issues can also be discussed with our lawyer Mr. Thomas Pinckard at no cost to you.

The nonprofit organization will be managed by a board of directors made up of the owners of the cottage units and duly elected by the owners of the cottage units according to the rules and regulations governing an Ontario nonprofit corporation.

Once the cottage units are sold and the nonprofit organization is running smoothly, the legal relationship between the cottage owners and the developer is at an. The developer will have no long-term vested interest or involvement in the cottages or the nonprofit organization, nor will the developer have any financial stake in the cottages or the nonprofit organization. In short, the ownership and future of the cottages and the nonprofit organization are entirely in the hands of the cottage unit owners.

No. All of the land around the French River system is either provincial park, government owned Crown Lands, or the Dokis First Nations lands, and as such, is unlikely to be developed.

Yes. The Lodge will establish a computer-based trading system so that cottage owners can easily exchange time with other like-minded owners. Participation in the trading system by cottage owners will be strictly voluntary.

Yes. The Lodge is in the process of establishing business links with the leading resort exchange organizations, such as, RCI.

The last week of April and the first week of May will be used to open The Lodge and The Cottages for the main season, and the last week of October and the first week of November, will be used to close the resort for the winter. Cottage owners will not be permitted access to The Cottages during these times so that any maintenance required on the individual cottages and the main property can be safely completed.

Yes. The owner is fee to rent to other people, provided that the people renting the cottage conform to the official rules and regulations of the association.

Yes. The resort will be pleased to look after all the details of renting your cottage in accordance with the terms between the resort and cottage owners.

The swimming is ideal. The water immediately off the shore in front of the cottages quickly drops to depths of over 30' and so is a perfect place for competent swimmers. Those cottagers who are not comfortable swimming in deep water, or people who simply want to paddle, will enjoy the warm, shallow water just off our sandy beach.

Yes. The Lodge has a parking lot.

Yes. A cottage unit owner can purchase a slip at the communal dock used by The Cottages and The Lodge. We have concentrated all the docking away from the cottages, to ensure the peace and privacy of the setting is undisturbed.

Yes. The cottages will be serviced by a brand new septic system that has been given the highest environmental rating by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The system costs roughly $100,000.00 to install, and it will be a wholly owned asset of the nonprofit organization controlled by the cottage owners.

The drinking water for the cottages is drawn from a deep, fresh-water well which is regularly tested by an approved laboratory.

Yes. Cottage owners will be able to store a range of items in areas specially constructed for the purpose, items that include, things like lines, seasonal clothing, household and recreational items. A full description of the make-up and location of these storage areas will be provided to cottage buyers.

The Lodge has made arrangements with a local business located only a short drive away that will enable cottage owners to pay for this type of storage, but there will be no off-season storage facilities for boats at the cottages.

No living trees were cut down to permit the building of the cottages. In all cases, the cottages were designed and built around the trees in order to preserve the natural beauty of the area.